There are many physical locations where it is desired to limit or control access. Typically this is accomplished by providing keys and/or pass codes to authorized visitors. For example, a homeowner and related family members may all have keys to the doors of their home. Sometimes a non-resident might have a key for emergency purposes. In a commercial space, the tenants or occupants may have some combination of keys, pass cards, access codes, and the like to permit entry onto the premises. Such entry may be at all times or may be restricted to certain time periods.
Whether residential or commercial, there are many instances where visitors, vendors, support personnel, repair people, delivery people, emergency personnel, first responders, medical professionals, and the like will need access to the premises. In the prior art, access is controlled a number of ways.
At the home, access may require that a family member be home to receive a visitor or vendor, so that desired services can be provided. This can create many disadvantages, particularly where the visitor cannot commit to a specific time of day. (e.g. cable companies may schedule a delivery time from 8 in the morning till 4 in the afternoon, with no commitment as to when within that time period they will appear). There may be trusted visitors who may be permitted in the home even without the presence of family members, but providing access either requires a family member to be present, or to somehow hide a key outside the home for retrieval by the visitor. In other instances, a visitor may be arriving late at night, and the family members may desire to provide access without waking up. There is no current process that provides a useful solution to these dilemmas.
In a commercial space, there may be a security station that allows visitors to be signed in, checked against a list of authorized visitors, and provided escorted access to the premises. Such a system requires full time security personnel to be available during the times of expected access, an expensive proposition. In addition, a tenant may forget to inform the security desk that the visitor is authorized, requiring last minute communication to resolve such problems.